Went to Dazzling Smile last week. 1,200 baht for checkup, scaling & polish. 200 baht was for the 45 second check up + 1,000 baht for the scaling & polish. The whole ordeal was 30 minutes and you do need an appointment. The posted rate for scaling & polish was a range of 1,000 - 1,500. I would return.

I took Mrs BB to the dentist (I won't name the particular dentist) 2 weeks ago because she had toothache.

For some strange reason, Mrs BB insisted I went in with her. Dentist took a look and sent her for an x-ray. It was just me and the dentist in the room and she said she feared it would require a root canal. My only reaction was, "Ouch, that'll hurt," referring to my painful experience, not the pain on my wallet.

5 minutes later, she confirmed her diagnosis - root canal. No time to do it in that appointment, but she'd make an appointment soonest (today). In the meantime, she did a temporary filling (1500 Baht), which fell out before bedtime. Mrs BB asked how much the root canal would cost and was told 17,000Baht.

I went into swan mode - cool appearance, but thinking oh sh*t. I shrugged, and said OK.

In the 2 week gap, particularly being in pain because of the dentist's incompetence she talked to a few people who suggested she just have the tooth out. She asked me what I thought (which was absolute joy), and again, keeping cool, said it was up to her. As the days moved on, much to my relief she talked herself into an extraction (500 Baht).

She told the dentist her decision, and the dentist said she had a book that said she wasn't allowed to do an extraction. My wife said fair enough, she'd go somewhere else. At that point, the dentist agreed to do the extraction.

It was the dentist's reference to her book that got me wondering. Quite a lot of Thais use this dentist as well - 17,000 Baht would be 2 months wages to them. Does the book only come into play when Farangs are footing the bill?

500 Baht instead of 18,500 Baht , and the pain could have been sorted immediately instead of prolonging the agony for 2 weeks. I just wonder how many dentists are working to the 'book'? This was a bottom tooth, completely out of sight, and my wife is no spring chicken. 18,000 Baht and 2 additonal weeks of pain for nothing.

I took Mrs BB to the dentist (I won't name the particular dentist) 2 weeks ago because she had toothache.

For some strange reason, Mrs BB insisted I went in with her. Dentist took a look and sent her for an x-ray. It was just me and the dentist in the room and she said she feared it would require a root canal. My only reaction was, "Ouch, that'll hurt," referring to my painful experience, not the pain on my wallet.

5 minutes later, she confirmed her diagnosis - root canal. No time to do it in that appointment, but she'd make an appointment soonest (today). In the meantime, she did a temporary filling (1500 Baht), which fell out before bedtime. Mrs BB asked how much the root canal would cost and was told 17,000Baht.

I went into swan mode - cool appearance, but thinking oh sh*t. I shrugged, and said OK.

In the 2 week gap, particularly being in pain because of the dentist's incompetence she talked to a few people who suggested she just have the tooth out. She asked me what I thought (which was absolute joy), and again, keeping cool, said it was up to her. As the days moved on, much to my relief she talked herself into an extraction (500 Baht).

She told the dentist her decision, and the dentist said she had a book that said she wasn't allowed to do an extraction. My wife said fair enough, she'd go somewhere else. At that point, the dentist agreed to do the extraction.

It was the dentist's reference to her book that got me wondering. Quite a lot of Thais use this dentist as well - 17,000 Baht would be 2 months wages to them. Does the book only come into play when Farangs are footing the bill?

500 Baht instead of 18,500 Baht , and the pain could have been sorted immediately instead of prolonging the agony for 2 weeks. I just wonder how many dentists are working to the 'book'? This was a bottom tooth, completely out of sight, and my wife is no spring chicken. 18,000 Baht and 2 additonal weeks of pain for nothing.

Went through a similar situation recently. Tripped over late last year and managed to get about a dozen stitches over the eye. Didn't realize at the time but I had also managed to fracture a tooth below gum line. The tooth had previously had root canal treatment. Saw the dentist in town and likewise advised it was beyond her area of treatment and referred me onto a specialist. After poking and prodding around specialist advised the root canal would need re doing and a crown would be needed. About 18,000 baht. Further advised that the crown could possibly fail after several years and would have to be redone. Alternatives offered 1. A Bridge 2. An implant. Both of which would require extraction of the remaining tooth. As the tooth was out of visual range decided at to have the tooth extracted which once again required another specialist for the removal. Dentist worked for about 50 mins to remove tooth. Apart from infection around the broken tooth there was also some further infection around the original 'silver pin' root canal work that had been previously done. The dentist cleaned up the residual infected area. The pain was hardly noticeable after the affects of the anesthetic wore off. This was done 3 weeks ago and no further ache or pain issues. i really have not missed the tooth and at this point I am wondering if I should bother to go down the road of either a bridge or implant. Cost of extraction was also 500 baht.

'Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way they ask for directions'. -Winston Churchill-

Contact Perfect Smile Dental Clinic by Dr. Supansa its located on Phet Kasem Road opposite Market Village and walk head north about 50 metre. Near Family Mart and Baan Chanchay Hotel Hua Hin Soi 67.

MODs a suspicious first post - perhaps from Smile.
Having been here 11 years I was happy to use Dr Nana at Smile ( Trained and worked in USA) so when she opened her own clinic at the corner of Soi94 and Phetkasim Rd myself and many others followed, and it is an even better experience.

VERAX - What matters in life is not where you are from but where you are going.

Dentists in Asia are quick to recommend a root canal. Whenever they say that to me I am out of there. I can endorse PET's recommendation for Dr. Nana, I tried her when she opened her clinic at Soi 94/3, and had an implant done. The implant has been painless, and has settled in very well.

About two years ago, I checked many reviews and concluded that the Hua Hin Dental Clinic at Soi 104 was the best bet - as there were no negative reviews.
I had two implants at B 60,000 each.
I was entirely satisfied with experience and result.
My dentist in Singapore says they look good.

Later, I had 2 caps done. Unfortunately, the glue used was 'temporary' and the caps came off more than once.
It seems like the choice of glue was a choice of 2 extremes, with advice that 'permanent' epoxy was the only alternative choice and not recommended.
The caps came off again overseas and this time I choose epoxy glue.
Looks like the second dentist (overseas) did not take care with the gaps and I now have a chunk of food that gets stuck in one gap and is difficult to remove unless flossed several times.
This was despite first dentist emphasising her care on correct gaps.
Despite the slightly negative experience with my 2 caps, I would still go back to the lady at Soi 104.

One thing that worries me about treatment here compared with back home is communication.
Back home, your dentist will more likely give you a confrontational opinion; here this is less likely because of loss of face issue. Case in point, I had an old crown replaced (on my insistence) as the dentist did not strongly object. Later, in had to be removed - and as I previously chose epoxy glue (from my loose cap experience) it was very difficult to remove and resulted in some root damage - pain which fortunately disappeared after about 6 months.

After all said and done, my recommendation is the cool, competent lady at Soi 104.

Penultimate para has an error and should read:
"Case in point, I had an old crown RE-GLUED BACK (on my insistence) as the dentist did not strongly object."

My main reason coming back to comment was I noticed a previous poster commenting on a "45 second check-up".
I asked for a check-up and it really did take about 45 seconds.
Not the usual prodding of all teeth along the line for potential problems.
Seems like people only go to dentist here when they have well defined problem, and they don't do western style check-ups?